Mystic Lullabies in Destiny
by Princessenr1
Summary: Ron and Hermione haven't spoke to each other in 3 years.  Will Harry and Ginny's wedding be able to bring the destined pair together?
1. Tenmptations Don't Exist

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and his world. That privilege belongs to J.K. Rowling.**

A limp figure sobbed into the cold, unfeeling floorboards. Her whimpers and cries became more and more desperate as time passed. The scene around the sad figure was a perfect irony to her situation. Bright sunlight seeped into the windows and a slight breeze played across the entire flat. The warm late spring air made for a cheery atmosphere. If someone had walked into the situation in this particular room, they would have laughed. The singular occupant wept on.

The phone in the corner rang.

It rang a second time.

The person straightened up. Even though this woman was in the middle of a tear-session, you could tell she was not to be reckoned with. Her hair was pulled into a bun, to be true some of the hair had been pulled out of place while she had cried on the floor, but under normal circumstances, it could be understood that it was kept in its place. Her brown eyes spoke of someone who often spent her time reading by wand light late into the night. She took a deep breath to calm herself as she wiped tears from her reddened face.

The phone rang a third time.

With as much strength and courage she could muster, she picked up the infernal contraption. "Hello, Hermione Granger speaking."

"Oh great Merlin, guess what happened Hermione!" The voice on the other end was obviously belonged to a woman. A fierce redheaded woman named Ginny to be precise.

"What is it, Ginny?"

"I wanted to tell you in person, but I don't think I could wait that long. Harry and I are getting married!"

"Why, that's great Gin!" Hermione's voice was full of false joy. She couldn't possibly be cheerful right now, not when she herself felt so miserable.

Ginny ignored the fakeness in her voice and kept speaking. "I know! I'm so excited that I can hardly breathe. We decided that were having the ceremony in a month. I know its quick, but he has to go away for work for a while after that, and it really is the only opportunity. I know that you are busy, but would you be my maid of honor?"

"Well, er, actually, yes. Yes, I'd love to be your maid of honor. When do you want me where?" She regretted it instantly. She knew that the groom was Harry, and who would Harry pick as best man? That redhead that made her life hell. Of course, he would pick Ron. Nevertheless, Hermione couldn't take her answer back now, she'd just have to live with it.

"The wedding is at the Burrow, so could you be here in, say, a week?"

"Alright then, I'll be at the Burrow in a week. See you then!" Hermione hung up the phone. 'Damn. Now what am I going to do?' she thought.

She had agreed to be Ginny's maid of honor without really thinking. Perhaps because she was on the phone and Gin had asked her so abruptly that Hermione had not thought out the question before answering. If they had been face to face, Hermione would have seen Ginny's red hair and remembered Ron. Then Hermione would have thought to say no. However, being the genius Ginny had a tendency to be, she had thought of this too, and had therefore been able to hoodwink Hermione into her wedding. "Damn Weasley's!" she shouted out in agony.

It had all begun with Ron. Even when Hermione was 12, the Weasley smile and charm tugged on her heart. Now, grown and out of school, and rid of him for 3 years, he still caused her stress. Perhaps, if he had not broken her heart, things would be different.

Perhaps…

_Hermione had just stepped out of the shower and headed to her room that she shared with Ron. She started to dress, thinking about tonight. Ron was taking her out to dinner. He was not one for romance, so whatever he was going to do was obviously going to be big. She went to walk out of the room when she heard a voice. _

_"Are you sure? I mean, your not doing anything rash, are you?" It was a woman speaking, but who it was, Hermione was unsure._

_Ron was talking to someone through the floo, that was obvious. Hermione decided to wait in their room before she came out. She didn't want to interrupt anything. Hermione could be a pain in the neck, but she had courtesy. Ron wouldn't interrupt her if she was talking to someone, so she wouldn't either._

_Next Ron spoke, "No, I have it all planed out. It's about time I did this. Hermione may just leave me if I don't act quick."_

_  
This was interesting. What was he talking about? Hermione listened intently as the conversation continued. _

_"She would never do that, she had to wait for your silly ass to do something when you got together. She knows how you are; she'd never make the move. You have to do something. So, good luck."_

_"I just hope she doesn't go physco. I mean, I can handle excited and crying, but angry just scares me!"_

_"Why would she be angry. You said that she feels the same way!"_

_"Well, I think she does, but what if I read it wrong?"_

_"Don't you be whimping out now! Its now or never with you. I got to go, I'll see you later. Bye"_

_"Mhmm, bye."_

_Hermione was frozen with shock. Small bits of nonsense floated around her head. Then it clicked in her mind. He was leaving her tonight. He was taking her to dinner, so that he could leave her with less of a scene. Oh no, Ron was not going to have the last say if that was his intent. Hermione purposefully strode about the room and packed her things. She was fuming with anger. When all of her clothes and a few personal effects were packed into a small trunk (everything had been magically changed so that it fit), she moved into the kitchenette._

_Ron sat at the small table munching on some toast and reading an article out of the Daily Prophet. He looked up at her as she came into view. "Hey, love. How are you?"_

_Hermione was in no mood for small talk. She shouted, "So that's you plan, huh? Going to take me to dinner and leave me! I heard you talking to that woman! Bet that's the new girl, isn't it? I thought you loved me, and instead you're going to l-leave me!" At this point, she dissolved into tears. "I'm l-leaving you, s-so now you don't have t-to do anything. Good-goodbye, Ron!"_

_He had gotten to his feet and was walking toward her. "'Mione, no. I'm not leaving you…"_

_"Don't even start with me! I d-don't want to hear it!" She pulled out her wand and pointed at him threatingly, "I said bye. Petrificus Totalus!"_

_He went ridged and fell to the floor as she left the flat._

Hermione resumed her sobs. 'I haven't seen him in 3 years, what in the world am I going to do?' she thought. Deciding that she was going to make the best of a bad situation, she calmed her tears a bit, and went off to her bedroom to pack.

**A/N: The work in _italics_ is a flashback. Please review!**


	2. Successful Lies

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, I own practically NOTHING!**

Ronald Billus Weasley was having a very bad morning. His latest girlfriend had left him two nights ago and he still hadn't recovered from it. His mother was angry that he had not attended a family gathering yesterday and the prophet had just reported that the 3 Death Eaters he had arrested last week had been set free. This was a bad morning indeed. Ron had decided that he might as well return to bed and give this day up as a bad job when, suddenly, he heard a faint 'pop'. The noise had originated from the living room, and Ron decided to investigate.

Standing on the clean crème-colored rug was a fairly windswept and red Harry.

"Hey, mate!" said the raven-haired, bespeckled man. "What are you up to? Not still moping around about Lacey are you?"

"Not really. I just really thought she liked me and then 'poof' she's gone! "What do I owe the pleasure of your company?" said Ron.

"You know how I wanted to ask Ginny to marry me? Well, I did it! Last night after dinner. She said yes and then ran off to show me the wedding plans she had already drawn up. Crazy, huh?" Harry said in bewilderment. "Well, she scheduled it for next month and since you're my best mate and all, I was wondering if you'd be the best man?"

"Does that mean I have to give a speech?"

"Well, only a little one. Just say something nice." Harry then did a pitiful attempt at what was suppose to be a puppy-dog look.

Ron laughed. "I'll do it! But, you owe me one!"

"'Course, mate. Could you be at the Burrow for all the wedding stuff in about a week? I know you have plenty of vacation time left. Apparently, your mum wants everyone really important in the wedding there very early. Women!"

"Women." Ron agreed.

"Thanks a lot; it means the world to me. See you in a week! Adios!"

"Bye then." With that, Harry turned on the spot and disappeared with a 'pop'.

Ron strode across the room to a nearby door. Opening it revealed a breathtaking circular room. The wall was a deep maroon color, and a hardwood floor spoke of exceptional taste. He had long ago stopped hating the color maroon he rather liked it now. A desk stood in the middle of the room, topped in rolls and rolls of parchment. A small table stood next to the desk, holding an owl cage and a food and water tray. The cage had a small owl inside of it, fast asleep. The open window near the top of the office was explained immediately. Behind the desk were two plain file cabinets, one labeled 'Work' and the other 'Home'. Bookshelves lined the room, in a deep mahogany color. In the bookshelves were tons and tons of books, ranging from a very beaten copy of 'The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)' by Miranda Goshawk, to a very large new book entitled 'The Downfall of Lord Voldemort – Battling Evil Today' by R.B. Weasley.

Ron had written a book. All the while he, Harry and Hermione had fought Lord Voldemort, he had written down what happened in a journal. A few years after the final battle, Ron had decided to write a book so that everyone could understand what had happened to Lord Voldemort. The novel detailed the search for horcruxes, what different Death Eaters had done to them, and the final battle. It also included a personal look into Ron's life in those years, as well as what spells are most effective when battling the dark arts. It had been an immediate success, selling over 2 million copies its first week. The reviews covered the papers raving about how 'exquisite and exciting' the book was. According to one such review, 'Weasley's work is fantastic; it actually transports the reader into a teenager's world threatened by the most evil wizard of our time. It's amazing how true and honest he is, while still capturing the audience.' The reviews went on and on about how great it was.

Ron particularly liked the prologue, telling of his life at Hogwarts with his best friends. It had been the most fun to write. His section on the D.A. had brought back many a happy memory. However, toward the end of the book he had left out his personal feelings. It was too painful to write about his relationship with Hermione. In fact, the whole final battle chapter didn't mention her until the very last part. The part that had saved the order. If he would have written the whole truth about it, it would have been very different…

_Ron screamed in agony. One of the Death Eaters that was firing curses everywhere had hit him with 'Crucio'. The pain was intense, but it would subside in a minute. When it finally did, Ron stood up and found the closest Death Eater to battle against._

_Curses and jinxes were thick upon the air. Making the field light up brilliantly. To a common muggle, it would have looked like a fireworks show. Ron hit the one he was battling with a well-placed 'Impedimenta' and suddenly stopped._

_Across the plain, Harry stood about 20 feet from Lord Voldemort. Voldemort opened his mouth and with his wand pointed at Harry and bellowed into the suddenly still and silent night 'Avada Kedavra!'_

_Ron had a fleeting moment of panic, and then knew what he had to do. Time seemed to slow into a near dead stop as he ran as fast as he could at Harry. He could see Hermione and Ginny doing the same as him. Harry outstretched his hands as the three made their way through the amazed Order members and Death Eaters alike. _

_As soon as he could he flung himself at Harry and in one hand grasped one of Harry's, and the other connected with Hermione. His instinct told him what to do next. _

_Love._

_So, that is exactly what he did. He let his love for everyone in the small circle take over him. Firstly, Ginny, his little sister. Ginny was a representation of the entire Weasley family. His family was all that he had before Hogwarts. As poor as his parents were, they made up for it in loving their family. Not a day passed at home where his mother wouldn't give him a hug and his father was always more than willing to help him. As annoying as his brothers and Ginny could be, Ron loved them too. Any Weasley would willingly sacrifice themselves for another._

_Ron loved Harry, too. As weird as it sounded to him to say, he did. Love also encompassed friendships, and if Harry wasn't Ron's friend, he didn't know what a friend was. Ever since he sat by him on the Hogwarts Express, he had someone to confide in, someone to help him and someone to help in return. Even though they had their differences and fair share of fights, they had become nearly inseparable in the last 7 years._

_Lastly, but certainly not least was Hermione. Even her name was intoxicating. He certainly loved her. Everything about her was just plain amazing. The way her eyes got wide with excitement and triumph when she mastered something new. The way her curls bounced when she walked. Even how she got so tense and angry when she yelled at him. From his first day at Hogwarts, she made him unfocused and dizzy. He couldn't do his first real spell correctly because her scent made his brain go fuzzy. He loved her, in more than a friend way. He wanted to be able to live his entire life with her, to grow old with her at his side, to have a clan of Weasley children with her, to support her until his dying day. He was her everything._

_All the love he could possibly contain filled him up as the green jet of light raced closer. Then, just inches from Harry's face, the curse stopped. It had come to a halt. Then it started to make a smaller circle inside the four people holding hands. It spun faster and faster, making the light brighter as it changed from green to gold. Suddenly, the now golden beam shot out of the circle and raced at Voldemort. It hit him straight in the chest. For a moment, Voldemort looked baffled, as though nothing had happened to him. A grin spread across his face, he opened his mouth as though to laugh, but he stopped. He fell to the ground, and screamed in agony. Even Ron could tell that he was having all the horrible things he had done flash before his eyes, the collected pain of his victims fell upon him in one moment. Then he stopped moving, his wand fell out of his now useless fingers. Lord Voldemort had died. After months of hard work and pain, they had defeated their foe._

_All around them the hypnotized people came to. Some Death Eaters escaped, but the majority were rounded up by Order members and Aurors. The four in the middle of the battle scene were oblivious to the commotion around them. _

_Ron had let go of Harry's hand and turned to Hermione. He grabbed her other hand and gazed into her eyes. She stared back. She then collapsed into his arms and he whispered words of comfort into her ears._

Ron sat down at the desk and found a scrap of clean parchment. He wrote on it a letter to his boss that he would be taking the next month off for 'personal reasons' and would like to use his vacation time. He rolled it up, sealed it with a tap of his wand and got up. He poked Pig with the tip of his wand to wake up the tiny owl.

"Take this to Varian, and no staying in the building to show off either!" Ron told the small creature. Pig hooted shrilly, clamped the parchment in his beak, and took off through the open window.

Ron closed his eyes, deciding that he really did need some more sleep. Especially if he was going to be dealing with Hermione in the coming month. With that thought, he left his office and went to his bedroom.

**A/N: Just so everyone knows, the **_**italics **_**are not in the book Ron wrote. It is what really happened. Sorry it was long, but it was necessary for the plot. Oh, and on a personal note, that isn't what I think will happen in Deathly Hallows, it just made the storyline better. Now, my readers, please review!**


	3. Old Wounds Fight Back

**Disclaimer: Do you really think that if I owned Harry Potter I would be writing this? I don't think so.**

Hermione had always loved the Burrow. From the first time she had seen it she had known it was her favorite place in the world. The place gave off a sense of family and love. It made her feel content with the world just to look at it. There was definitely a reason Amortentia smelled like freshly mown grass, new parchment and the Burrow. Aside from the crooked house, it also had a small pond to the left of the front gate and off a ways. Tall bushes behind concealed the miniature quidditch pitch. On the right side of the house was Hermione's favorite part, the garden and the wood. Trees had always fascinated her, the way they moved in the wind, the shade they gave to everyone, and the support they gave you when reading against the trunk.

Suddenly, the front door of the Burrow opened, and a very excited-looking Ginny spilled out. She ran at Hermione, scattering stray chickens as she came. Hermione put down her bag just in time, as Ginny crashed into her for the biggest hug she had received in a very long time. "Nice to see you too, Gin." She said in a rather sarcastic yet loving voice.

"I'm so glad you're here! I've had no one to talk to except mum, and I really don't think she'd want to hear about my life." Ginny continued to ramble on about nothing in particular, and Hermione tuned her out a bit.

Maybe Ron wasn't here yet, maybe she could spend an entire day at the Burrow without seeing hide or hair of him until she had figured out what she was going to say to him. She trod up the earthen path with Ginny to the front door. As she opened the door and stepped inside, her vision seemed to go bright red for a minute. A number of redheads were sitting at the table. As Hermione's vision adjusted, she noticed that here and there among the Weasley red were a few different hair colors, namely Harry's black, Fleur's golden-blonde, and the heads of Molly and Arthur were much less vibrant than they used to be, now generously lined with gray and white hairs. Hermione surveyed the table; Bill and Fleur were sitting closest to her, with their child, Renard, between them. Next was a beaming Harry; then was Charlie, sporting a new burn on his arm. Sitting at the head of the table was Arthur, with a plump as ever Molly standing behind him fusing with the stove. Fred and George were across form Harry, wearing matching purple and gold outfits. Then was the one person Hermione had dreaded seeing, Ron. She took a sharp intake of breath before realizing that all around the table people were greeting her. She replied 'hello' to each person, and let her thoughts run free.

Ron was here already. His hair was a bit longer than it was the last time she had seen him, but it looked good on him. He apparently had not shaved this morning, and a light stubble was on his face, causing Hermione to swoon a little bit. His outfit was jeans and a tee shirt that he must have gotten at some muggle store. It made him look very laid back and handsome. It was amazing how much time had changed him. Gone was his lanky frame, instead, his muscles filled him out rather nicely.

'No, don't think about him like that!' she scolded herself. His presence was causing a number of problems to her plan of attack. He wasn't suppose to show up for another couple of hours, so that she could be busy with something by the time he showed up. Either that, or he should not be in the kitchen at the time of her arrival. Hermione then became aware that someone was speaking to her.

"Dear, you look starved; do you want something to eat before lunch?" It was Molly. Only she would offer food at any given moment of the day.

"Oh no, I ate a pretty big breakfast. I can wait for lunch like everyone else." Hermione smiled warmly. Actually, she was rather hungry, but another moment in the kitchen with Ron there would probably be the end of her.

This time Ginny spoke, "and you'll be sleeping in Percy's old room. He isn't coming until the actual wedding. Prat. Why do we even need to invite him? He's never exactly been the closest of my brothers!"

"The Minister of Magic cannot take a month off to be at home for his sister's wedding. You should be happy he found time enough to be able to come. He has a very demanding job." Mrs. Weasley was obviously very proud that her third eldest son had lived up to each one of her expectations. He had finally decided to rejoin the family just after Bill and Fleur's wedding, much to the dismay of the remainder of the family.

"Whatever, mum." Ginny continued. "Let's take you up to Percy's room, then."

"Okay." Hermione just wanted to get out of his suffocating presence. Ginny lead the way to Hermione's room for the duration of her stay in silence. Gin was obviously still fuming over the fact she had to invite her most hated brother to the wedding. Hermione decided to take initiative at that point. She told Ginny that she was able to get to Percy's room by herself and that she would be down in a few minutes after she was settled. Ginny nodded once and stomped down the stairs. Hermione then made her way through the slightly cluttered stairway until she reached the appropriate level.

Percy's room held a number of boxes in it. She could see that a couple were labeled 'Fred and George' a few 'Christmas' and others with such legends as 'Special Occasions', 'Photos' and 'Toys'. The bed was against the far wall, and a tiny desk was situated under a window. She was glad she had brought a report she was working on for St. Mungo's with her. The closet was very small, but Hermione was able to magically enlarge it to hold all of her clothes. Just then, a knock came from the other side of the door. She opened it to find, much to her surprise, Ron.

"Er, Mum wanted a few boxes from in here. Is it okay for me to grab them?" Ron stared at his trainers as he spoke.

"Oh, of course. I'm just finishing unpacking." She stepped aside to let him in. She turned around to busy her hands, and a small silence followed.

Ron was the first to break it. "So, what have you been up to lately?"

Hermione wheeled around. He was still bent over boxes trying to find the ones he needed. "I got promoted at St. Mungo's. I'm in charge of the jinx and hex defense and treatment center. How about you? I read your book. I rather liked it. Especially the part about finding the real locket."

"Yeah, that book. I don't know why I let the guys in the office persuade me into writing it. They must have noticed my journal. I kept it on my desk for the longest time." He turned around, holding one of the boxes and looked at her. "Oh, yeah, that reminds me. I'm an auror. Got accepted into the program after we..." He broke off. This subject was noticeably uncomfortable for him.

Hermione cut in, "Well, that's great Ron. Always knew you had it in you." She was starting to become flushed.

"Yeah, I suppose so. I had a really tough time in the beginning. If Rachel hadn't been there to…"

"Rachel? You said that you got in just after we broke up. So, you broke up to go out with another woman? I knew that was the reason. Are you two happy now?" She was trying to maintain a calm, but was becoming increasingly upset.

"No, we just got together a few weeks after you left." Hermione could tell that he was starting to get flustered. "She dumped me a month or so later 'cause she found another guy, too. Look, I don't want to talk about that. Can't we talk about something else?"

"Oh no, Ronald. We haven't spoken in 3 years and you want to talk about something else because you cannot handle this topic? I don't think so." Hermione could see beads of sweat forming on his brow. "I want this sorted out. You dump me for another girl, who dumps you soon after. Then you go with another one, and probably thousands more. Why, Ronald?"

Ron was angry now, "Don't call me Ronald! I'm not a 5 year old, Hermione. And don't think I'm the only bad one around here! Krum, McLaggen, Simaki, Minona, and everyone thought you dating Harry for the longest time! So don't go pulling an 'I'm Miss Goody two-shoes' act! I've got your card!"

"Why do you always bring up Victor?"

"I bring up your precious _Vicky_ because I can! Got a problem with that?"

"Well, if you can bring up him, then I suppose we should talk about Lavender." The shock radiated across his face. "Gone to suck off her face, lately? I suppose that is all you can get, isn't it? Cheap whores!"

Ron recovered instantly. His rage heightened with every word, "Maybe I did go back out with her! Don't call her a whore, either. You don't even know her!"

"Don't know her, do I? I think I would after spending _seven years_ in the same dorm as her! At least Viktor didn't cheat on me every opportunity he got. He had tons of girls lining up, being a quidditch star and all, yet he didn't feel the need to date all of them in one go!"

"You know what, Hermione? Leave me alone. All we have to do is be at the same ceremony. Don't talk to me, ever again. Good bye." With that, he picked up the boxes he needed, and strode out of the room. A very shocked Hermione lay on the bed, wondering what she had done to deserve this.

**A/N: So, they fight. Can't say you didn't know it was coming. It's a pretty lame one…but I tried. Renard is fox in french, I thought it was a cool name for the Bill/Fleur child. The two guys mentioned as Ron is spitting out names have no basis in fact, I just needed more guys. Oh, well. Now, be kind and REVIEW!!!**


	4. Brightly Colored Paper

**Disclaimer: I own something now! This Mountain Dew I'm currently drinking from! Still don't own Harry Potter and his friends, though. Oh well, maybe J.K. will give him to me for Christmas. : )**

**WARNING!!! This story is rated T for a reason!!!!!!!!!!!**

"Harry, I still love her, and she despises me!" Ron put his face in his hands. The last thing he wanted was for Harry to see him cry. Just two weeks ago, he had been sure that nothing would happen in the coming month but Ginny and Harry's wedding. Seven days ago, he had been positive that he would never speak to Hermione. Today, he was sitting on his old bed, wondering if his life was about to come crashing down completely around his ears. "Mum made it so that Hermione and I have to sit next to each other for Renard's birthday dinner. What am I going to do?"

"Try to be nice?" Harry offered sympathetically.

Ron lifted his face out of his hands enough to reply.** "**I tried that. It blew up completely in my face. Asked he how she had been, and next thing I knew, I was being yelled at for dating other people. It made me so angry with her that I blew up too and told her I never want to speak to her again. I'm hopeless, Harry, positively hopeless." He sunk back into his still awaiting hands, and a distinct whimpering cry could be heard.

"I haven't a clue what to do, mate." Harry glanced at the door nervously, "I think Ginny's calling me." That said Harry retreated from the room, leaving Ron alone to do whatever he pleased.

Ron stretched himself face down into the bed. Perhaps he would skip the one-year-old's party. He considered this for a moment before deciding that it was out of the question. If he skipped his nephew's dinner, he would have missed two family events in a row, and he would never hear the end of it from his mother. No other options presented themselves, as Fleur had been quite clear on telling everyone that their seats were permanent. All hope lost, Ron looked out the window. The sky outside was rather clear, only a few clouds here and there. He got out of bed, and decided to take a walk to clear his head.

He wandered until he came to a stop about 20 feet from the first tree in the wood. Approximately 10 feet in, Hermione sat against a tree doing what she did best. She was reading. However, she wasn't reading just any book, it was his book she had spread open on her lap. If she hated him as much as it seemed that she did, why would she be reading a book mostly _about_ him?

Ron turned around, intent on going to the pond instead. A pair of smirking twins hindered his progress. Fred and George were grinning, with a finger in front of their mouths, indicating that he keep silent. George dropped his finger to give Ron a beckoning signal. Nothing else to do, Ron followed the now strutting twins.

The two stopped behind the trees that hid the quidditch pitch, and wheeled around to face a rather confused Ron.

"I see you have a slight problem, little brother." said Fred.

"Yeah, you two gits." Ron retorted hotly.

"No, the other problem. The one where our advice would be rather beneficial to you. I do believe you are in need of it, Ron."

Ron considered his options. Figuring that he may as well take his chances with Fred and George, he spoke. "Of course I have a problem. I'm the idiotic prat brother, remember?"

Fred looked at George quizzically, and George did the same back. Fred then stated, "I was fairly certain that honor belonged to Percy."

George nodded in agreement. The twins looked back at Ron. George spoke this time. "Our advice is fairly straightforward, little brother. Firstly, do not bring up past relationships, on either of your parts. It has proved disastrous for you in the past."

Ron had to say, this was the most valuable stuff he had ever gotten out of the twins. He gave a shrug to mean 'go on', and the twins continued speaking in turns.

"Second, act nice. If you are polite and considerate, she has noting to complain about."

"Third, ask questions and answer in ways that are fairly predictable. Avoid bad subjects. Talk positive."

"Lastly, and this is important, do something surprising for her. Something that says, 'I know I did wrong, but I want to make it up'. Something she'll remember, too."

Fred and George then turned on their heels and walked away to the house. Ron stood on the grass for a moment, considering what he would do.

Later that day

The birthday party was coming to a close, and so far Ron had managed stick to the twins advice. When he had sat down for dinner, she was already seated, and deep in conversation with Lupin about a new treatment method for werewolves that her friend in creature bites had developed. Ron listened intently as she spoke. Later during dinner, when Hermione had finally noticed him, he asked her some more questions about her work. She answered at length, and when he was questioned in return, he thought out his answers before speaking. They sat, talking, as the rest of the party began to leave.

"So, that's why we had to move them all to a whole new ward. Obviously, we couldn't have all the unforgivable curse victims in one ward. The imperioused people would try to strangle the people that had damage from crucio. It was a total mess." said Hermione. She was getting that look in her eyes she got when talking about something she was particularly proud of doing.

"Yeah, that would create a problem. I do think that my people got the mass of those who had created the situation." Ron said.

Hermione looked around, "We should be heading inside. Most of the party seems to have left." Actually, only a few people remained outside. Mrs. Weasley was stacking dishes by wand to take inside for washing. Hermione got up and turned to face the ever-mounting stack of dishes. "I'll wash those, Molly. You look exhausted."

Ron's mum peaked out from behind the mountainous pile. "Are you sure, dear?"

"Oh, yes. I can have those cleaned in a jiffy."

"I'll just put them inside for you then, Hermione." Mrs. Weasley flicked her wand, and the dishes made their way into the house. "Goodnight!"

After Ron and Hermione had bid her goodnight in reply, Mrs. Weasley went inside, leaving Ron and Hermione alone outside. Hermione motioned toward the kitchen and said simply, "Care to help?"

Ron nodded and followed her inside. Now was his chance to follow the twin's last piece of advice. However, he had no idea what he was going to do. Hermione started doing the dishes the muggle way, and Ron was completely amazed. He was told to dry and put them away as she washed. After Ron's initial amazement wore off, they continued in silence. He didn't mind, he liked just being in her presence. The time he had left to surprise her was running out, only a few dishes remained in the sink.

Hermione broke the silence as she rinsed off the last pot. "I'm glad we had a chance to be civil. It really is nice just to talk with you, Ron." She handed the pot to him. "I suppose I'll see you in the morning. Goodnight."

Ron put the pot in its proper place and then turned to face her. She was still in the kitchen, and staring at him. She quickly recovered from her embarrassing pose and he spoke, "Hermione, I do like talking to you. I really didn't mean what I said the other day." His mind clinked into place. He knew what he was going to do. "We should do this again sometime, to catch up for the last few years. It feels like I rediscovered a whole part of my life."

He approached her slowly. She looked up at him. He could feel her breath on his skin. He leaned down a bit, and then kissed her. At first, she resisted slightly, but then he deepened it, and she put her arms around him. He pulled her closer to him, trying to get as close to her as humanly possible. He could feel her put one of her hands through his hair as his tongue begged for entrance into her mouth. She obliged. He deepened to kiss even further, letting all his passion for her spill into it. She moaned a little in the back of her throat.

Ron then pulled away. Her eyes were still closed. He got very close to her lips again, brushing them as he spoke. "Goodnight."

He walked out of the room, making sure not to look back at her. He felt that if he did, he might just run back and do it again.

**A/N: Hahaha! They kiss! It's amazing, or at least I hope. I hope it reads like I imagined it. It would really suck if you people can't imagine this happening. Thank you for reading…now please REVIEW!**


	5. Upon Doorframes

**Disclaimer: Me, own Harry Potter? Love to…but no, I don't. : ( **

**So, I know you're all pissed at me because I haven't updated in forever, but I went to see OOTP and then I got a summer English project to do, and then Deathly Hallows came out. I don't know how many of you readers have read it, but those of you who have…the epilogue SUCKED in my opinion…I hope she does do that encyclopedia, it would make me happy! Anybody who wants to tell me what they thought of it please leave a little review for the story/Deathly Hallows response. It would make my day! And I decided that I'm going to give some thanks out to my reviewers…because you're amazing like that! I may do this from time to time- it makes me feel important!**

**Avanell****- You are the most faithful reviewer ever! You started to make me believe I could do this, and I love you for it. Answers to your questions…yes, he was…you saw in chapter 3…and do you really think that Ron could tell her? Its RONALD were talking about here!**

**0xTragic-Finalex0****- Short but sweet, please review more often.**

**connieewing****- Your second in the most-faithful category. Yes, I'm FINALLY doing what you've asked me from the beginning to do…update!**

**Sophie****- Here it is. Hopefully, I'll be able to write everyday again!**

**Hermione myriapod****- Odd last part of the name…would you please tell me what it means?**

**Mione-Girl.x****- 3****rd**** best review ribbon! I love the compliments you give me! Makes me feel like I'm not a total loser after all!**

**Hermione-and-Ron-forever-together****—That's a mouthful. Getting wound up is their job, I am proud to help them do it!**

**Nika****- Do you want another fight? I'm not sure if I should do one or not.**

**Sarah Butter****- Your screen name reminds me of a Sarah I know from winter guard…anyways…everyone knows what he was going to do. It was so obvious and Hermione just took it the wrong way.**

"I'm glad we had a chance to be civil. It really is nice just to talk with you, Ron." Hermione said. She was cleaning the dishes after little Renard's birthday party. She held a soapy pot in her hand. Rinsing it off she handed Ron the pot and added, "I suppose I'll see you in the morning. Goodnight."

She turned around and started heading towards the door. Suddenly realizing that he had not replied, she turned around. He was bent down putting the last few dishes away. 'He really does have a nice arse." Hermione acknowledged. He then turned around, realizing he had done so, she snapped out of her reverie. He started to speak.

"Hermione, I do like talking to you. I really didn't mean what I said the other day. We should do this again sometime, to catch up on the last few years." His eyes twinkled mysteriously in the dim light. "It feels like I've rediscovered a whole part of my life."

His feet started moving toward her. She stayed rooted to the spot. His face came dangerously close to hers. The smell of pine, sweat and aftershave filled her up like drink. This smell she knew, this smell was the best one in the world. This was the smell of Ron. Her brain was fuzzy and lost in his piercing blue eyes. He leaned in forward, and started kissing her.

Her brain told her that this was completely inappropriate, and for a moment, she made to pull away from him. Ron's arms came around her waist and she relaxed under his warm touch. He deepened the kiss, and her fingers started combing his fiery locks of hair.

One of his hands brushed against the small of her back, sending a chill throughout her entire body. This seemed to be a signal for Ron, and he broke away abruptly.

Hermione waited for him to come back to her lips. She firmly expected him to carry her to his room and have his way with her, she expected him to start kissing her again, at the very least she expected an 'I'm sorry' or an 'I love you'. She did not expect to have him whisper onto her partly open mouth, "Goodnight."

He swept out of the room. Hermione could only stare at the doorframe in amazement. Her fingers went to her lips, as if questioning if it had really happened at all. Footsteps and a lone figure came through the door.

"Ahh!" the dressing gown clad Ginny exclaimed. Then realizing that only Hermione was in the kitchen she spoke again. "Holy crap! You nearly killed me of fright there, 'Mione." She yawned into her hand. "What are you doing up at this hour?"

"Ron and I were doing the dishes, we only just finished." Hermione responded calmly.

"Oh, that would explain why he was mumbling under his breath while going up the stairs. Nearly ran me over because he wasn't paying attention. You two didn't row again, did you? I'll go make him come down here and apologize. Stupid ugly pratish…"

"No, no, we didn't row." Hermione interrupted. "In fact, we got along rather well. A little **to **well if you know what I mean."

A look of comprehension crossed Ginny features. "Oh my, you didn't, well, geez, you guys didn't…shag…did you?"

"Oh goodness, no! He kissed me. Kind of like the way he used to after we fought, but not really like that at all. It was deeper, better. He kissed me like I've never been kissed before." Hermione broke into sobs. "I think I still love him Ginny, and I mustn't. We broke up so long ago, and we can't get back together. It would be to wrong. Oh, Gin, what am I going to do?"

"I think it's fairly obvious what you should do."

"Obvious? What's obvious? The whole business is rather confusing in my opinion."

"Nope, rather obvious." Ginny smirked. "For such a bright witch, you can be rather daft. Go get him, Hermione."

Hermione opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Thoughts were spinning out-of-control in her mind. She strayed a glance at the door, and her feet took over. They unconsciously took her out of the room and to the bottom of the stairs. She looked up the narrow, winding pathway, and started running up. She bounded over clutter and debris of the Weasley family, coming to a stop at his closed door. Summoning all the Gryffindor courage she possessed, she opened the door without knocking.

Ron was sitting on his old bed. His face was downcast, but it obviously held a stained and concentrated look. For a moment she wondered what he was doing, and then it came too her. He was dabbing sickly, purple goo onto himself. It was already spread on a wound near his right shoulder and on a few small cuts and bruises along his chest. Hermione considered this normal, his job as an auror was very difficult, and small cuts and bruises were to be expected. Ron lifted his head, and what she saw on his bare chest broke her heart.

Across his front was a horrible, jagged, ropey scar. It stretched from under his left armpit and disappeared beneath his boxers on his right side. It looked fresh and very painful.

"Ron! Wh-what happened?" Her eyes were wide in shock and her voice trembled out of fear.

"Hermione! How did you...I mean, why are you in here?" He then noticed she was staring unashamedly at his chest. He hastily threw the nearest shirt over his head while proclaiming, "Merlin's pants! 'Mione, please don't look at me like that. It makes me feel worse that I already do. I should have told someone, but I didn't want them to worry. Please sit, I've got to explain."

She sat down on the nearest chair. Her expression softened, but did not stop looking at him in fear. His hand reached for hers and held tight.

"I never told anyone because I don't want them to feel sorry for me. Are you sure you want to hear this?"

She spoke softly, "Yes. How did you get that? It looks horrible."

Ron took one look around his bedroom, "Well, I happened about a month and a half ago…"

**A/N: Haha! I left the most horrible cliffhanger ever! I am mean like that sometimes. Sorry it was rather short though. Didn't mean it but the explanation must be from Ron's POV to make sense. If you want to read more, I suggest reviews, they make me want to finish! Thanks in advance!**


	6. Swimming Teardrops

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Never have, never will. Will you please stop asking if I do!**

**Quick shout-out to my lovely reviewers, Mione-Girl.x, Sarah Butter, HTB, conieewing, PenguinsRFunny, Katherine Katrina Katrine**** for the reviews! Thanks a lot!!!**

"Well, it happened about a month and a half ago." Ronald looked intently at his feet for a second before continuing. "It was Malfoy…

_It had been a normal day at the office for Ron so far. His paperwork was piled haphazardly around his cluttered desk as he wrote on a very official-looking piece of parchment. He wrote steadily on the parchment until the very last bit. He then carefully signed his name, and rolled and sealed it with a tap of his wand. He stretched slowly and yawned. Catching a glimpse at the clock, he noticed it was only 3:00 p.m. and still had at least 3 hours until his shift ended. _

_Someone slammed open the door to the Auror department. Ron did not even bother to look up. This sort of thing happened all the time, if the person who had barged into the office area needed him, they would come and find him._

_Obviously, whoever it was did need Ron because someone spoke frantically behind him. "Ron, RON! Quick, we need you. Come on!"_

_Ron looked up. Harry stood there looking disheveled and extremely anxious. "What is it?" Ron inquired._

"_St. Mungo's. All I know is that the panic button was pressed, and that none of the healers can get up to the level it was pressed on. We have to go, now!"_

_Ron got up and threw on his cloak while following Harry out of the office. The two raced to the lifts and into the atrium. Harry reached a fireplace first, threw some powder into the flames, and disappeared into a blaze of brilliant green fire. Ron was quick to copy him._

_Ron arrived into the waiting room of St. Mungo's coughing. He quickly stepped out of the fireplace, brushed himself off quickly, and looked at his surroundings. It was utter chaos. Healers were scurrying around trying to calm people down. One man in the corner was screaming, "What's going on! My little girl, is she all right? Someone tell me!"_

_Harry was already at the stairs, talking to a healer about what was stopping them from reaching the fourth floor. Ron heard the healer say that some sort of barrier had been put up and that no one had successfully gotten through it. He also explained that they had not tried to break through it using any spells, as they were afraid of what may happen if they tried._

_Harry nodded to the unnamed healer and began climbing the stairs as Ron followed. As the best friends reached the landing to enter the fourth floor, Harry turned around quickly and cast a nervous glance at Ron. "You know where we are, right?"_

"_Yes." Answered Ron simply. He felt confused as to why Harry was asking him this question._

"_Are you sure?"_

_Ron was very confused. "Yeah, I'm sure where we are. We're on the fourth floor of St….oh." He now knew why Harry had asked him this question. _

"_Yeah, just be careful, alright?'_

"_Of course. It is okay. I'm a professional now, remember?"_

"_Sure. On three now, 'Reducto' curses, okay?"_

"_Got it."_

"_Fine then. One…two…three…"_

_Both Harry and Ron screamed "reducto" at the same time, and a large piece of wall, magical barrier included, fell to the floor. Harry stepped tentatively through the dust and Ron followed._

_The hallway was completely empty. Ron was on the verge of asking Harry if they were on the right floor, when Ron heard a distinct scream coming from a room down the hall. Ron knew that scream, having heard it many times before. He moved as fast as his mortal legs could possibly go, racing toward the sound that was shattering him to pieces the longer that it sounded._

_He finally reached the door that the screams seemed to be issuing from as the scream faded. Harry caught up to Ron in moment and they looked at each other, shock and determination etched on their faces._

_Behind the door, a voice was talking. Ron could barely make out the words. "Stupid mudblood should have known better. Where are your stupid friends now? No bleeding blood traitor and scar head to save you this time. I am going to kill you slowly, you know. Just so I can watch the light leave your pretty little eyes. Kill you slowly, because you deserve this after what you did to the Dark Lord, and what you did to my family. Crucio!"_

_Another heart-wrenching scream echoed from behind the door. Harry was mouthing instructions to him. Harry held up 3 fingers and slowly started a countdown. As he put the last finger down, Harry screamed "Reducto" at the door, as Ron pointed his wand to the masked assailant, and screamed "Petrificus Totalus!"_

_A body hit the floor, and a brown-haired brown-eyed woman stirred feebly on the floor. She looked up at her two saviors, and mouthed "Thanks." Harry pulled her to her feet, and she crumpled in his arms. Ron gave the two a scathing look, and turned away. He focused his attention on the attacker. Ron took off the mask that covered his face, and was startled to see and adult Draco Malfoy. Malfoy's eyes swiveled in their sockets, as that was the only part of his body he could move. _

_Ron turned back around, to see Hermione looking at him. "Thanks, Ron." She whispered softly._

"_Yeah, whatever." Was all he managed to reply. He wanted to yell at her, he wanted to kiss her, he also felt like correcting her. He was definitely feeling more emotions than a teaspoon could hold now._

"_Whatever? You just saved my life, again." Her chocolate eyes started swimming in tears._

"_That's right. Whatever. It's not like you care about me anymore, anyways."_

_For a moment it looked like she was going to contradict him, but then she started to sob uncontrollably and rushed out of the room. Harry gazed at Ron with an unmistakable look of 'You blithering idiot, look what you've done now', but spared Ron a speech and just said "I'll go get someone to take care of him, and you stay here and stand guard."_

_Ron nodded, as he saw Harry's cloak swing around the doorframe. Ron turned around and was startled to see a smirking Malfoy standing behind him. "My wand fell underneath me, thank Merlin. So, blood traitor, how about this. __Sectumsempra__!"_

_A painful gash cut away at his chest, and several other small cuts scattered over his body. A healer then appeared at the doorway as he blacked out._

"That's all I remember from that. I woke up about a half hour later. The healer said he knocked Malfoy out with a stunning spell and sent him to Azkaban. He also was a trainee healer, so he could not completely heal me. He was the only one that knew what happened to me, even Harry does not know. I didn't want him to know."

"Oh, Ron. To think that I just went home and cried about what you said for the next few days. I am so sorry. It's all my fault, too. If you wouldn't have been there that never would have happened…"

Ron cut her off, "He wanted me next anyways. It wasn't your fault at all." Ron grabbed onto her other hand, "and if you think about it, if that never had happened, you and I wouldn't be sitting here talking to each other." He pulled her into his lap, and kissed her gently on the cheek. "So, what did you come up here for anyways? Before you saw my scar that is?"

Ron noticed that her cheeks went slightly scarlet before she spoke. "I just wanted to say something to you."

"Well, what was it?"

Hermione smirked at him, "I really don't think I need words for this one." She then took her hands away from his, flung them around his neck, and kissed him full on the mouth. Ron responded by putting his own hands around her waist, lifting her up, and then pinned her to his bed.

"Wait a second, there is one thing I have to say." Ron told her, while still maintaining his position above her.

"Yes?" She asked calmly.

"I love you, Hermione Granger."

"Good," Hermione responded, "Because I love you, too, Ronald Weasley."

He smiled down at her, and she back up at him. He then bent back down upon her, and resumed their previous activity. They continued all into the night until, exhausted, they fell asleep wrapped in each other's embrace.

**A/N: So, I finally updated! Aren't you all so happy now? Sorry about the delay, but school started, and shit happened…you know how it goes. I think I'm going to write one more little chapter, either an epilogue or a next-morning thing. It'll probably be uber-fluffy, so I'm warning you know! Now I implore you all to make me feel all happy inside, and press that pretty lilac button below! Please! Thanks ahead of time!**


	7. It Was Destiny

**Disclaimer: This is of my own creation…my Frankenstein, if you will. I assume full responsibility for it. J.K. Rowling would probably laugh at me for stupid things like this, anyways.**

Hermione woke up wrapped in her lover's embrace. His strong arms were draped around her waist as if trying to keep her safe from the darkness. She blinked a few times in an attempt to shake the sleepiness from herself. A sudden chill of how cold the house was crept over her, making her glad that the majority of her body was snuggled against his warm form. She made a small sigh of contentment that made him give off a noise similar to a growl. She closed her eyes again, trying to get back to sleep, only to hear the sound that woke her in the first place.

Down the hall in the nursery, a child was whimpering. Hermione tried to carefully wiggle herself free from his grasp, only to become frustrated and throw his arms off her. She got up off her bed, slipped her feet into the warm slippers next to it. She grabbed a dressing gown off the back of the door, and put it over her pajamas as she strode toward the nursery. Silently opening the door, she saw a toddler kicking from beneath his bunched-up blankets making pitiful sounds. Making her way over to the crib, she removed the toddler from his bed. Immediately, the crying stopped, as the child was awakened from his nightmare. She began to sway with her son pressed against her, making calming noises into his ear.

"Thought you might have come in here. How is he?"

Hermione turned around to answer her husband. "He must have had a nightmare. But as soon as I picked him up, he fell back asleep."

Ron moved closer to her, and let his son's small hand wrap around a couple of his fingers. "Well, 'Mione, you do happen to have this wonderful affect on me, he must get it too. Like father, like son, I suppose."

"He'd better not turn out half as much like you. I'll never get another peaceful moment." Hermione said while looking at the red hair of little Nathan.

"Yeah, well, if I weren't like this, you wouldn't love me, now would you?" Ron added while smirking at her.

"Your right." She pulled her eyes away from Nathan to stare up into Ron's blue eyes. She smiled at him. "It all worked out in the end. Who would have thought we could turn out like this? A happy couple with a beautiful baby boy.'' Her eyes sparkled on the edge of tears.

Ron took his free hand and put it on her cheek. His thumb rubbed gentle circles into it while he answered, "No one could have guessed. It was destiny."

He placed a kiss on her forehead as she let off a small sigh. She placed the returned to sleep child back in his crib, and leant back on Ron. The two of them gazed at their son, just happy to know that they were meant to be like this.

**A/N: So not the best ending in the world, but it served it purpose. I'd like to thank you all sticking with this story from the beginning. Watch out for a new story by me sometime soon, and in the meantime I suggest you check out my one-shot ****I Wear Black****. Once again, reviews are my best friend! Thanks for reading… **

**much love, **

**princessenr1**


End file.
